Domenico Gilardoni (1798–1831) was an Italian opera

librettist A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major litu ...

, most well known for his collaborations with the

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

Vincenzo Bellini Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini (; 3 November 1801 – 23 September 1835) was a Sicilian opera composer, who was known for his long-flowing melodic lines for which he was named "the Swan of Catania". Many years later, in 1898, Giu ...

(his first work) and

Gaetano Donizetti Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (29 November 1797 – 8 April 1848) was an Italian composer, best known for his almost 70 operas. Along with Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, he was a leading composer of the '' bel canto'' opera style dur ...

.Black 1992, p. 413.

Biography

Gilardoni was born in

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

, but little is known about his early life and training. He died early, and thus had a short career, but wrote more than 20 librettos in five years, all for Naples. Most of his early work was for the Teatro Nuovo, where his librettos contained much prose and often included comic roles in Neapolitan dialect. His first published libretto was '' Bianca e Gernando'' for Bellini. It was based on a play, which was probably selected by Bellini, Carlo Roti's ''Bianca e Fernando alla tomba di Carlo IV, Duca d'Agrigento'', which had been staged at the

Teatro dei Fiorentini Theatres for diverse musical and dramatic presentations began to open in Naples, Italy, in the mid-16th century as part of the general Spanish cultural and political expansion into the kingdom of Naples, which had just become a vicerealm of Spain. ...

in 1820. The title ''Bianca e Fernando'' had to be changed, because Ferdinando was the name of the heir to the throne, and no form of it could be used on a royal stage. After some delays the opera premiered at the

Teatro di San Carlo The Real Teatro di San Carlo ("Royal Theatre of Saint Charles"), as originally named by the Bourbon monarchy but today known simply as the Teatro (di) San Carlo, is an opera house in Naples, Italy, connected to the Royal Palace and adjacent t ...

in Naples on 30 May 1826 and was successful. Bellini's music was highly regarded, but there were significant reservations about Gilardoni's contribution.Osborne 1994, p. 312–313; Weinstock 1971, p. 31–33. For a later production, which was planned to open the new

Teatro Carlo Felice The Teatro Carlo Felice is the principal opera house of Genoa, Italy, used for performances of opera, ballet, orchestral music, and recitals. It is located on the side of Piazza De Ferrari. The hall is named for King Carlo Felice, and dates fro ...

in Genoa on 7 April 1828, Bellini substantially altered the music and specifically rejected a request by Gilardoni to revise the libretto himself, preferring instead

Felice Romani Giuseppe Felice Romani (31 January 178828 January 1865) was an Italian poet and scholar of literature and mythology who wrote many librettos for the opera composers Donizetti and Bellini. Romani was considered the finest Italian librettist betw ...

, whom he regarded as the superior poet. Gilardoni first worked with Donizetti at the Teatro Nuovo, writing the libretto for '' Otto mesi in due ore'' ("Eight Months in Two Hours") which premiered on 13 May 1827. He went on to collaborate with Donizetti on ten more operas. According to John Black, writing in ''

The New Grove Dictionary of Opera ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera'' is an encyclopedia of opera, considered to be one of the best general reference sources on the subject. It is the largest work on opera in English, and in its printed form, amounts to 5,448 pages in four volu ...

'': "When working with Donizetti he achieved a high level not matched when writing for others, probably due to the influence of the composer…." Black ranks ''

Il paria (''The Outcast'') is an opera in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti from a libretto by Domenico Gilardoni, based on ''Le Paria'' by Casimir Delavigne and Michele Carafa's ''Il paria'' with a libretto by Gaetano Rossi. Completed in the winter of 1 ...

'', written for Donizetti c. 1829, as Gilardoni's best libretto, and ''Il ventaglio'', written for

Pietro Raimondi Pietro Raimondi (December 20, 1786, Rome – October 30, 1853) was an Italian composer, transitional between the Classical and Romantic eras. While he was famous at the time as a composer of operas and sacred music, he was also as an innovat ...

c. 1830, as the most often performed, but the latter shows "all too clearly the slack versification that often marred his work." Gilardoni died in Naples.

Librettos

The title, genre, composer, theatre (all in Naples), and the date of the premiere are listed. * '' Bianca e Gernando'',

melodramma ''Melodramma'' (plural: ''melodrammi'') is a 17th-century Italian term for a text to be set as an opera, or the opera itself. In the 19th century, it was used in a much narrower sense by English writers to discuss developments in the early Italia ...

in 2 acts, Bellini,

, 30 May 1826 * ''Ildegonda'', melodramma,

Costa Costa may refer to: Biology * Rib (Latin: ''costa''), in vertebrate anatomy * Costa (botany), the central strand of a plant leaf or thallus * Costa (coral), a stony rib, part of the skeleton of a coral * Costa (entomology), the leading edge of th ...

, Teatro Nuovo, 1827 * ''Gustavo d'Orxa'', melodramma, Alessandro Curmi, Teatro Nuovo, 1827 * '' Otto mesi in due ore'', opera romantica in 3 acts, Donizetti, Teatro Nuovo, 13 May 1827 * '' Il borgomastro di Saardam'', melodramma giocoso in 2 acts, Donizetti,

Teatro del Fondo The Teatro del Fondo is a theatre in Naples, now known as the Teatro Mercadante. It is located on Piazza del Municipio #1, with the front facing the west side of Castel Nuovo and near the Molo (Dock) Siglio. Together with the Teatro San Carlo, it w ...

, 19 August 1827 * ''

L'esule di Roma ''L'esule di Roma, ossia Il proscritto'' (''The Exile from Rome, or the Proscribed Man'') is a ''melodramma eroico'', or heroic opera, in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Domenico Gilardoni wrote the Italian libretto after Luigi Marchionni's ''Il ...

'', melodramma eroico in 2 acts, Donizetti, Teatro di San Carlo, 1 January 1828 * ''

Gianni di Calais ''Gianni di Calais'' is a ''melodramma semiserio'', a "semi-serious" opera in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti (1828), from a libretto by Domenico Gilardoni, based on ''Jean de Paris'' by Louis-Charles Caigniez. It was first performed on 2 Augus ...

'', melodramma semiserio in 3 acts, Donizetti, Teatro del Fondo, 2 August 1828 * ''Ulisse in Itaca'', opera seria in 2 acts,

Ricci Ricci () is an Italian surname, derived from the adjective "riccio", meaning curly. Notable Riccis Arts and entertainment * Antonio Ricci (painter) (c.1565–c.1635), Spanish Baroque painter of Italian origin * Christina Ricci (born 1980), Ameri ...

, Teatro di San Carlo, 12 January 1828 * ''

'', melodramma in 2 acts, Donizetti, Teatro di San Carlo, 12 January 1829 * '' Il giovedì grasso'', farsa in 1 act, Donizetti, Teatro del Fondo, 26 February 1829 * ''Bannier'', melodramma in 2 acts,

Mario Aspa Mario Aspa (17 October 1797 – 14 December 1868) was an Italian composer. He composed over 40 operas, the most successful of which were ''Paolo e Virginia'' (premiered in Rome, 1843) and ''II Muratore di Napoli'' (premiered in Naples, 1850). He ...

, Teatro del Fondo, 6 June 1829O'Connor 1992, p. 228. * ''I fidanzati, ossia Il connestabile di Chester'', melodramma in 3 acts, Pacini, Teatro di San Carlo, 19 November 1829 * '' I pazzi per progetto'', farsa in 1 act, Donizetti, Teatro di San Carlo, 6 February 1830 * '' Il diluvio universale'', azione tragico-sacra in 3 acts, Donizetti, Teatro di San Carlo, 6 March 1830 * ''Il carcere d'Ildegonda'', melodramma in 2 acts, Mario Aspa, Teatro Nuovo, October 1830 * ''Il ventaglio'', commedia per musica,

, Teatro Nuovo, 22 January 1831 * ''Edoardo in Iscozia'', dramma per musica in 2 acts,

Carlo Coccia Carlo Coccia (14 April 1782 – 13 April 1873) was an Italian opera composer. He was known for the genre of opera semiseria. Life and career Coccia was born in Naples, and studied in his native city with Pietro Casella, Fedele Fenaroli, a ...

, Teatro di San Carlo, 8 May 1831 * '' Francesca di Foix'', melodramma in 1 act, Donizetti, Teatro di San Carlo, 30 May 1831 * '' La romanziera e l'uomo nero'', farsa in 1 act, Donizetti, Teatro del Fondo, 18 June 1831 * ''

Fausta Flavia Maxima Fausta ''Augusta'' (289–326 AD) was a Roman empress. She was the daughter of Maximian and second wife of Constantine the Great, who had her executed and excluded from all official accounts for unknown reasons. Historians Zosimu ...

'', melodramma in 2 acts, Donizetti (libretto completed by Donizetti), Teatro di San Carlo, 12 January 1832 * ''Ugo d’Erinduro'', melodramma in 2 acts, Giovanni Moretti, Teatro Nuovo, autumn of 1833Libretto of ''Ugo d'Erinduro''. .

References

Notes Sources * Ashbrook, William (1982). ''Donizetti and His Operas''. Cambridge University Press., . . * Balthazar, Scott L.; Kaufman, Thomas G. (2001). "Pacini, Giovanni" in Sadie 2001. * Black, John (1992). "Gilardoni, Domenico" in Sadie 1992, vol. 2, p. 413. * Bondin, Joseph Vella (2001). "Curmi urmy Alessandro" in Sadie 2001. * Budden, Julian (2001). "Ricci, Luigi" in Sadie 2001. * Burtin, Nigel; Horner, Keith (2001). "Costa, Sir Michael (Andrew Agnus) ichele Andrea Agniello in Sadie 2001. * Libby, Dennis; Maguire, Simon (2001). "Coccia, Carlo" in Sadie 2001. * O'Connor, Patrick (1992). "Aspa, Mario" in Sadie 1992, vol. 1, p. 228. * Osborne, Charles (1994). ''The Bel Canto Operas of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini''. Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press. . * Rosenberg, Jesse (2001). "Raimondi, Pietro" in Sadie 2001. *

Sadie, Stanley Stanley John Sadie (; 30 October 1930 – 21 March 2005) was an influential and prolific British musicologist, music critic, and editor. He was editor of the sixth edition of the '' Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' (1980), which was publ ...

, editor (1992). ''

'' (4 volumes). London: Macmillan. . * Sadie, Stanley, editor; John Tyrell; executive editor (2001). ''

The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language ''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the history and theo ...

'', 2nd edition. London: Macmillan. (hardcover). (eBook). * Smart, Mary Ann;

Budden, Julian Julian Medforth Budden (9 April 1924 in Hoylake, Wirral – 28 February 2007 in Florence, Italy) was a British opera scholar, radio producer and broadcaster. He is particularly known for his three volumes on the operas of Giuseppe Verdi (publish ...

. "Donizetti, (Domenico) Gaetano (Maria)" in Sadie 2001. * Weinstock, Herbert (1971). ''Vincenzo Bellini: His Life and His Operas''. New York: Knopf. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Gilardoni, Domenico 1798 births 1831 deaths 19th-century Neapolitan people Italian opera librettists Italian male dramatists and playwrights 19th-century Italian dramatists and playwrights 19th-century Italian male writers